Welcome to September, although the weather still feels like August. At least we have Labor Day as a three-day weekend and Grandparents’ Day on September 10th to anticipate. Let’s also remember that school is back in session, so drive carefully and be extra alert.
We have many upcoming events to look forward to. The next Senior Safari at Happy Hollow will be on Thursday, September 28th. Arrive between 9:00 and 9:55 a.m., and Admission and Parking are free. In August, Ken and I saw two other Chapter 5151 members at the Picnic Basket where we happened to stop for a coffee break. It’s worth the trip just to see the Giant Anteaters and to hear the zookeepers’ informative talks.
Saturday, September 30th, will be the next Lions Club glasses-sorting event. This takes place at the VISTA Center at 101 Bascom Ave. in San Jose near San Carlos. It starts at 9:00 a.m. and goes until 2:00 p.m. with a free lunch included. It’s an easy way to earn 5 hours of volunteer activity.
We have received a grant from National AARP to reprint and update the trifold recruitment brochures. We are working with ENCORE Printing in Campbell to get this accomplished. Ken was the primary grant proposal writer for this project. Thank you, Ken.
We are working on establishing a fundraising event with the Starbird Chicken Restaurant in the Pruneyard. We should have more information in October.
Occasionally, we should brag about our Chapter’s accomplishments, so here goes. So far in 2023, we have added 10 new members to our Chapter. Over the past 3 years, 4 of our Volunteers of the Year have received awards from National AARP: Thelma Bridges, Jeanne Ulrich, Harry Kiesler, and Mike Rose. We are known by both State and National AARP organizations as one of the Chapters that actively contributes to our community. Last year, our members put in over 4,000 hours of volunteer service. Remember that every hour of service counts toward our total. We are also apparently known for the variety of programs we present to our members. There is something for everyone! Our speaker for September has presented programs to us in the past and she is always an interesting speaker.